Jimmy Kimmel was behind the 'Worst Twerk Fail EVER' hoax

Here’s another reason why you can’t believe everything you see on the Internet: The “Worst Twerk Fail EVER” was a hoax.

We had our suspicions—the lit candles, the sound of the table crashing just a pinch too early, the camera cutting out so quickly—but we wanted to believe. The video has racked up more than 9 million views after hitting YouTube on Sept. 3, making the rounds on dozens of major news outlets.

The woman behind the twerk was actually stuntwoman Daphne Avalon, who was sworn to secrecy. The clip was actually filmed two months earlier. The version that hit YouTube a week ago leaves out Kimmel entering through the door in an outfit matching Avalon’s and putting out the flames via fire extinguisher. “Thanks Jimmy Kimmel,” she says.

“It’s all part of the job ma’am,” the host responds.

Yep, creating a viral video, throwing the Internet into a debate about its legitimacy, and then revealing it was a con the whole time: all in a day’s work.

"Thank you for helping us deceive the world," Kimmel tells Avalon, "and hopefully put an end to twerking forever."